The Communist Party of India on Thursday demanded in the Lok Sabha that the existing airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore should not be closed down to "protect interest of private sector".
Though the Mumbai and Delhi airports still rule the domestic aviation market, the share of the two in overall traffic is falling. In 2006-07, the two airports collectively handled 40.6 per cent of all domestic passengers; in 2012-13, their share fell to 37 per cent.
However, the court refused to stay the order of the Delhi high court that upheld such levy, saying, "we are not inclined to stay it. . . No airport could be developed if they don't have funds."
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday launched fresh raids in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, official sources said.
None of the 55 passengers or five crew members was injured, they said, adding the DGCA has started an investigation.
He said it was expected that the AAI would be able to charge the airport development fee for three to four years 'as large scale development of infrastructure is taking place in the country.' The AAI is undertaking modernisation of 35 non-metro airports, besides the ones at Kolkata and Chennai.
Authorities on Friday had advised people to limit outdoor activities and told government and private offices to cut vehicle use by at least 30 per cent as air quality in Delhi-NCR inched towards the emergency level amid a rise in emissions from farm fires and unfavourable meteorological conditions.
The Union Cabinet is likely to take up the issue of airport privatisation before the Budget Session of Parliament resumes early next month, official sources said
Any rise in charges has to be approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, which is examining MIAL's proposal.
Unrest is again brewing among airport employees with the unions threatening another bout of workers action if urgent steps were not taken to meet their 'long-pending' demands.
The employees associated with various unions of AAI have formed a joint forum and started the three-day-long strike in front of the Civil Aviation Ministry at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan here and at AAI offices across the country.
They shouted slogans against the signboard when the airport is named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
While recalling the order, the bench agreed to the contention of the law officer that there was a "breach of principle of natural justice" as the government department was not accorded the hearing.
Private airports are much better but because of poor regulation, the tariffs have shot up.
Making a mockery of transparency, the signing of the agreements have taken place at a point of time, when charges of irregularity are still under judicial scrutiny," the party politbureau said in a statement.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, they said.
Pollution levels spiked to severe levels in Delhi with thick haze blanketing the city on Tuesday, reducing visibility drastically and affecting flights and trains, prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to describe the national capital as a "gas chamber".
The Airports Authority of India would raise nearly Rs 5000 crore (Rs 50 billion) through bonds and other instruments to upgrade about 30 airports across the country by 2007-08, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said on Wednesday.
The end of the monopoly of oil PSUs on selling jet fuel at Delhi and Mumbai airports is expected to bring competition and more transparent pricing.
The spokesperson said India has "always advocated constructive, solution-oriented, and practical engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict".
The Kozhikode international airport at nearby Karipur in Mallapuram district of Kerala, which had been temporarily shutdown after violence erupted on Wednesday night following the death of a Central Industrial Security Force jawan, began operations on Thursday morning with arrival of two flights.
Qatar has released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel and seven of them returned home early Monday, 46 days after their death sentences handed last October were commuted to jail terms of varying duration.
On Sunday, protestors carrying Khalistani flags clashed with people at the Hindu temple and disrupted a consular event co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may initiate a money laundering investigation over the framing and execution of the Aam Aadmi Party government's excise policy, official sources said on Friday after the Central Bureau of Investigation raided Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the matter.
A decision on upgradation of Delhi and Mumbai airports is likely to be taken by the finance ministry in a week's time as part of government's efforts to create world-class civil aviation infrastructure in the country.\n\n
The work on restructuring Delhi and Mumbai airports would begin by the middle of next year and the process of selecting private joint venture partners for the Airports Authority of India
Days after exchange of words between the Planning Commission and the Civil Aviation Ministry, the process of Kolkata airport modernisation is all set to start with the Public Investment Board meeting in New Delhi later this week to give its nod to the Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) project .
As the Tata group inches closer to taking over Air India in January 2022, the $242-billion conglomerate will also inherit a stake in Kerala's Cochin airport. The Tatas would become the only airline to have an operational stake in a major Indian airport. The airport is a strategic hub connecting India to Middle East nations - home to the largest share of Indian migrant workers. In addition to Air India and Air India Express, private carrier Indigo also uses Cochin to ferry the lucrative 'Malayali Gulf traffic' to multiple locations like Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain, among others. According to regulatory filings, Air India has a three per cent stake in Cochin International Airport.
The Delhi high court on Friday directed the civil aviation regulator to deregister planes leased to Go First within five working days, giving respite to the lessors. This means that the airline will have to give back all 54 aircraft to the lessors if its resolution professional (RP) does not challenge the order or ask for a stay. Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju also refused the request of the RP, represented by advocate Diwakar Maheshwari, to keep the operation of the order in abeyance for a week to enable them to file an appeal before the division Bench of the court.
Wing Commander Raveendran and flight steward Sargeant Iyer, though shaken and injured, managed to open the rear door of the aircraft and shouted for Prime Minister Morarji Desai and the passengers in the forward cabin to exit in haste since they suspected that fire would engulf the aircraft.
Gunfire was been reported from Gate Number 4 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, television news reports said.
'The urge to name the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport after well-known personalities and the equally strong urge to rally in large numbers supporting this name and that; all of this amidst COVID-19, felt deplorable,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Move is aimed at bringing private operators to run airports.
Aircraft pilot-in-command Captain Achint Bhardwaj spoke exclusively to ANI after landing at Delhi Airport and said that all air traffic controls, including that of Pakistan, extended support during the evacuation mission.
"The 'red bag' belonged to one of the hijackers, it contained explosives, and possibly, real passports, too.
'My one recommendation would be to first quell the violence and then encourage dialogue and build the trust among the different communities.' 'This is not easy but necessary, for violence cannot be the way forward.'
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